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Is there any deliverance? "We thank God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord," there is. If man were not wilfully a slave, he might now be spiritually free. If man were not wilfully a slave, the human reason could not justify the penalties of sin. If man were not wilfully a slave, it were cruel and a mockery to awaken him to a sense of his bondage. If man were not willingly a slave, the tortures of hell might embitter him with regret, but they could not rack with remorse. He would turn himself upon the fire that is not quenched, but the wail which he would send would be a plaintive wail, crying ever, "I could not help it;" so plaintive, that methinks the worm which dieth not would cease its gnawings under the sickening echo, and turn in sympathy from the helpless victim of a fatal unavoidable calamity. There is a deliverance freely provided, freely proffered, and this is now the condemnation, that men will not accept the deliverance. They voluntarily remain in the prison after the doors have been thrown open, and despise the proclamation which declares them free. And now, if they go down to deeper, darker death, their cry must be a cry of remorse of bitter, biting, binding selfaccusation: "I knew my privilege, but I despised it. All the day long did mercy cry unto me, but I heeded not, and now justly-justly-justly is my house left unto me desolate." O! shall we not tear away the veil from before the eyes of the sin-blinded, and awake them to a view of the deep degradation of their bondage, that they may look

What is this liberty? Is it license? If we would solve this question scripturally, we must look at it through the eyes of Paul. With him liberty and bondage are antithetical. When he speaks of bondage, it is either the bondage of the law, or the bondage of sin. These are different, for the law is not sin, but is holy, just, and good (Rom. vii. 7-12.) The bondage of the law consisted in its requiring of those who were under it a perfect obedience from the feeling of fear-a constrained obedience with or without the hearty concurrence of the subject, and under the penalties of a rigid and an exacting letter. Its precepts were imperious simply: Thou shalt, and thou shalt not. Though they were all just, and exacted only what was good, yet they required more than man could do, and provided no remedy for the default; so that though "the commandment was ordained for life, it was found to be death, since sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived and slew." Even the best endeavors proved abortive, through the weakness of the flesh. Therefore, no flesh could be justified in the sight of God, by the deeds of the law, which was given, not to provide a deliverance from sin, but rather to give the knowledge of sin, by prescribing a code which, though perfect in itself, required what no man could perform, thus drawing out and making manifest the sinfulness of our nature, by proving its impotency perfectly to conform to the rules of righteousness and truth. The tendency of such a system was to infuse into the minds of its subjects a feeling of apprehension-of fear—which is the essence of slavery; and it is in this sense that the great Apostle to the Gentiles says, "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage, again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. viii. 15.) Now, in full antithesis to this bondage of the law, does the apostle present the freedom of adoption; for the servile spirit of fear, he presents us with the confidence of children; and for the constrained obedience of the imperious letter, he substitutes the

willing and approving submission of a heart reconciled through love to the law of the gospel, which is the law of liberty and the law of life. The law of THE LAW, then, is a law of constraint the law of the gospel is a law of freedom-the spirit of the law is a spirit of fear the spirit of the gospel is a spirit of love. The one threatens, the other persuades the one is clothed with terror, the other with hope the one lays bare our sins with an unfeeling hand, and offers us no remedy-the other weeps over the faults we cannot help, and offers us a righteousness not

our own.

The bondage of sin is different from the bondage of the law-yet the gospel delivers us from both at once, because it is the bondage of sin which gives terror to the law. If man were not sold under sin, then might he feel no fear under the commandments of the law, for it is the working of sin in his members, which leads to the violation of the law. Sin has, indeed, been defined to be the transgression of the law, and this it unquestionably is, when considered in its outward manifestation, that is to say, objectively; but this is not the sense in which the Apostle uses it in his profound reasonings in the Epistle to the Romans. He goes behind the manifestation, and considers the principle itself, that is to say, sin subjectively. He passes beyond the act, to its cause, and shows that there is a principle in us which he sometimes calls "sin," and sometimes the "law in the members," to which all wicked actions are to be referred, and which is the cause, in us, of transgression. Now, the responsible cause of any action in man, is his will; and if there be in man a cause of sin, (and this there must be, or he cannot be held guilty,) then this cause must be a corrupt will. But since will is essentially free, it can only become corrupt by its own act; it is the cause to itself of its own corruption. Therefore, a sinful will is responsible for it own sinfulness, and we cannot plead the proclivities of our nature as an excuse for our transgressions. These proclivities in man to sin, did not originate in God, but in man himself, by his own election; and upon man are justly chargeable all the consequences. He has, therefore, voluntarily placed himself under the power and bondage of the devil, by corrupting the fountain

and main-spring of his being; and in this condition the gospel finds him-in this condition the law also found him. The law condemned every manifestation and movement of the corrupt will, and that without the "benefit of clergy;" it punished all and pardoned nothing: if a man kept the whole law, and offended but in one point, he was guilty of the whole. So that under it, man's case was hopeless. Still it forced obedience, and compelled man to feel his absolute dependence upon God. It was, indeed, a stern and severe pedagogue-a school-master, to prepare the world for reception of Christ; to make man, as it were, sick of his follies, hateful of his own rebellion, loathful of his self-assumed corruption, and ready to cry out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?"

If I am understood by the thoughtful reader—and it is only such that I presume to interest on this subject-it will be perceived, that the bondage of sin is the voluntary submission of one's self to the reign of the corrupt element of his will, under the movings and temptings of the father of lies, to the exclusion of the authority of God, yet under the penalties of his law. And what more galling bondage than this can the reason of man conceive? Working against our own happiness—working against a righteous law-working against absolute power, and blind to the offers of absolute love! Now, it is from this wretched and hopeless condition that the gospel delivers us.

It would be foreign to our purpose to inquire how it settles the matter with God, in satisfying and harmonizing every divine attribute. This it unquestionably and fully does. Its influence upon us, in delivering us from this bondage of sin, is all that we propose now to consider. It shows us the hatefulness and guilt of sin, in that priceless offering for sin, by which God condemned sin in the flesh; it shows us the love of God towards us, in providing, even while we were yet enemies, that divine offering, even his own Son, "that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but obtain eternal life"-a sin-offering which takes away all our guilt; it comes to us declaring, that although by works of law no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God, yet that there is a justification which is of

God, through faith, and which is conferred freely by his favor, through the redemption which is by Christ Jesus (Rom. iii. 21-24); it brings God to us in Christ, beseeching us to be reconciled to him, not counting to us our own trespasses (2 Cor. v. 19); it realizes to us the fact of a resurrection and future judgment, the joys of heaven and the terrors of hell, and thus moves upon the not all-extinguished spark of divinity that is within us, if we do not wilfully and wickedly shut our hearts against the gentle breathings of its divine afflatus, till the darkened understanding is enlightened—the alienated heart is reconciled. the convincing reason enlisted-the rebellious and corrupted will subdued and renovated, and the man becomes "in Christ a new creature; old things have passed away behold all things have become new; and all these things of God, who has reconciled him to himself through Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. v. 17-18.) Thus we pass from the bondage of sin into the liberty of the gospel.

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But is this liberty, license? God for bid. We pass from under the bondage of sin by a symbolic death to its influence. "Know ye not that so many us as have been baptized into Jesus Christ, have been baptized into his death? Therefore, we have been buried with him by baptism into his death; that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. vi. 3-4.) And here, again, we may recur to our text: "So speak ye and so do ye, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." But some one will ask, how can there be liberty where there is law? To which we answer: that government is free which is of the people's own choice, and that law by which they voluntarily and approvingly elect to be guided, is a law of liberty. When, therefore, the mind of man culminates in faith - in other words, when the practical reason, or conscience and will of a man, are perfectly harmonized with the divine law, then the law of God becomes, through the assimilating power of love, his own delightful choice the obedience which he renders, his highest and most grateful service and the liberty which he feels, the freedom of an enlightened conscience, a renovated will, and a reconciled heart. W. K. P.

ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

JERUSALEM MISSION.

[The following Report is from the pen of Dr. Barclay, who is now residing in Jerusalem, where he is sustained as a missionary by the brethren of the United States. We present it entire from the Christian Age for April last, doubting not but that it will be read with earnestness by all who feel interested in this effort of Christian enterprise. The experience of the missionary cannot fail to impress the mind afresh with the long-recognized fact, that human nature, when brought in contact with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the discipline of His church, is marked by the same characteristics in every age and clime. It is difficult to convince any great number even of the most intelligent portion of a community, of the supreme excellence and paramount importance of divine truth, so as to lead them to love it for its intrinsic value, and, for the sake of Christ and his great salvation, to forsake all that is comprised in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. In our Lord's day there were multitudes who followed him, not simply because they beheld the splendour, or recognized the benevolence of his miraclesnor yet because they received with honest hearts the doctrines He propounded-but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled! So is it in the present day. Let any number of the disciples of Jesus in this country, or any missionary in a distant part of the world, propose to establish a society in which all things shall be common-except the daily labor, the discipline, and the worship appointed by Christ

and such a community would rapidly multiply its members. But though this state of things might be realized, it could not be maintained for any length of time. At variance with nature, reason, truth, and good order, such a condition, lacking the elements of permanence, would disappear like the morning cloud and early dew before the rising sun. Το be diligent in business, and fervent in spirit, serving the Lord in worship, discipline, and truth, agreeably to His divine appointments, are the only sure bases upon which any community can be cemented together. And this Dr. Barclay seems to understand. But the Report will speak for itself.]

JERUSALEM, Feb. 9, 1852.

WELL-BELOVED BRETHREN,-Had I the opportunity of meeting with the saints in the church gathered together, it would afford me great pleasure to rehearse all that God hath done with us, and for us, since we entered upon the work whereunto we have been called; but as the nature of existing circumstances necessarily precludes the enjoyment of such a privilege, I must be content merely to make, to those by whom I have been more specially "commended to the grace of God," a brief written statement of such matters only as may seem more particularly to claim attention a duty which the expiration of the first year's existence of the mission naturally suggests, by way of Report; for it was on yesterday twelve months ago that we unfurled the banner of primeval Christianity within the precints of the "Holy City."

The initiatory operations of a mission in a foreign field are necessarily attended with peculiar difficulties hindrances of a temporal as well as a spiritual nature. Besides the difficulty and delay attendant upon the establishment of a household in a land so deficient in the most ordinary comforts of civilized life, the missionary has to become acquainted with the peculiar views and habits of the people, as well as their language, before he can reasonably expect to become useful. And these difficulties, necessarily incident (more or less) to all foreign missions, are greatly aggravated, where, as in the present case, there are rival religions, some of which are maintained by the purse, and others defended by the sword. And when, in addition to these great obstacles, he finds that the cause he would present has been so perverted and degraded amongst them, that the very name he wears is a standing term of reproach; and that while he is unable to preach Christianity to the people as he would wish, owing to his ignorance of their intricate language, he is also greatly hindered from commending its excellence to their contemplation as a living reality, owing to the very serious disabilities arising from his subjection to an unhealthy climate, it is evident that no little time must elapse before these formidable obstacles can be surmounted; and hence our inexpressible gratitude to the Author

and Giver of all good-temporal and spiritual-that notwithstanding these disadvantages, we are still in the enjoyment of such abounding mercies; and that during the short space of our sojourn here, twelve persons have already practically embraced the "truth as it is in Jesus," and seem determined with full "purpose of heart, to cleave unto the Lord." It pains me, however, to add, (as I must in faithfulness do,) that one lately numbered with our little flock, (taken from amongst the lost sheep of the house of Israel,) who ran so well at first, and of whom we entertained such fair hopes — influenced by considerations of a carnal and pecuniary nature, placed before him for the purpose of drawing him away-so frequently absented himself from the ordinances of the Lord's house, that we were constrained to exclude him from the congregation. I ought to add, however, that owing to the shameful laxity of discipline that prevails here, even amongst some styling themselves Protestants, he was induced to believe that his remissness and obliquities of conduct would be tolerated. And although he deems himself rather harshly dealt with, I understand he has expressed himself willing to return, provided no explanation or apology be required of him; but the spirit he still manifests renders a profession of repentance and amendment of life an indispensable prerequisite to his restoration. Owing to our protracted illness, and the indisposition and absence of Brother Murad, the two Greek members of our congregation have doubtless suffered for instruction, and hence they evince rather too much partiality for some of the superstitious notions of the Greek Catholic Church, in the faith of which they have been raised. But so great was their ignorance, and so inveterate their prepossessions in favor of certain tenets which have grown with their growth, and strengthened with their strength, that they have not only needed line upon line, and precept upon precept, but no little forbearance with their waywardness. With these exceptions, (and possibly another,) our little flock may be said-if not in all things to adorn the doctrine of Christ-at least to be very orderly, and observant of the means of grace. Exclusive of the individual above alluded to, and two immersed persons regularly wor

shipping with us, and usually reckoned with us-one of whom has fallen asleep in Christ, and the other not being a permanent resident here- the names on our church list amount to seventeen. One, however, resides in Smyrna, and two are about to set sail for the remote West of your own favored land: so that the number now worshipping here, and constituting our church, is only fourteen.

Had it been my intention merely to establish a church of numerical strength, the number might have been considerably increased. But I have been constrained by a sense of duty either to reject some applicants outright upon their own statement, or on detection of an improper motive; or else to urge upon them necessity of a closer examination of the Bible and their hearts, in such terms as have generally prevented a renewal of their application. This, of course, has been a most painful duty, and deeply do I feel the responsibility thus incurred. But that I have acted properly, (at least in most of these cases,) I am happy in knowing that I have the entire approbation of my own conscience; and that I may enjoy the approval of your valued judgment also, I will briefly state such of the cases as will enable you to form a just estimate of the whole.

A. brings testimonials highly commending him as a teacher, &c. He is already in the service of a mission, but tells me, in plain terms, that if I will give him a little more than his present allowance he will join our church. The proposal of this Herodian is, of course, rejected without hesitation.

B. a gentleman of very high literary and scientific attainments, and possess ing undoubted piety, wishes to know whether our society would employ him were he to unite with us. Now, while I have a great respect for the individual, I could but speak to him in language so discouraging as to deter him from the repetition of any such proposition

C. who was a sub-officer in a Protestant church, asks the appointment of an hour for a special interview; and comes in very respectable company to make a formal proposition to unite with us himself, and also bring along a number of others with him. These persons, he alledges, were compelled from conscientious considerations to

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withdraw from their church, and they propose to form an "independent church," upon principles of "toleration and union," under my direction. Now this seemed quite laudable in some respects, but upon explaning to him the nature of the Christian Institution, he is found to be not only ignorant of its very first principles, but in direct opposition to some of them. Upon further conversation it is discovered, that they propose sending agents abroad to solicit funds for their maintenance in the Holy City, after the manner of Jews, Christians, and Heathens here. And so the proposition being clearly ascribable to carnal motives rather than principle, it is entirely discountenanced: the divinely appointed plan of contributing toward the support of the saints, when unavoidably poor, is explained; the sin of supporting a church in wilful idleness is exposed, and the good old way of Christian union, according to sound words and sound principles, is urged upon their consideration.

D. a youth of some promise-whose history may be found in the Jewish Intelligencer, Vol. XV. No. 174. as detailed at an annual meeting of the London Jews' Society-states that he has heard that we discard all human forms and ceremonies, and have a plain religion, which he thinks must be the religion of the Bible; and beseeches me to receive him into our congregation. But it is discovered, on conversing with him during this and subsequent interviews, that he is entirely ignorant of the difference between us and the church of which he is a member and it plainly appears, from all the circumstances of the case, that he is influenced more by a desire for personal protection, than by love for the truth. But although it is evident that his proposed change is too much the dictate of worldly policy, the "good old way" is plainly set before him; he is exhorted to search the Scriptures, to see whether the things I tell him are so, and to scrutinize his motives more closely.

E. a member of a popular Christian community, who, though at first much opposed to us, yet on attending our meetings, and hearing the Christian system explained, was convinced of the truth; but on avowing his dissatisfaction with his creed, was forced-strange as it may seem to make choice between a removal to a distant station,